Energy storage systems are receiving increasing attention as users of air conditioning and other refrigeration systems seek systems with greater efficiency. Many users wish to continue using their existing system in place but desire a mechanism for retrofitting their system for increased efficiency, for example, with an energy storage system.
A significant challenge facing those who wish to add an energy storage system to a refrigeration system arises when trying to interconnect the systems with valves. For instance, prior attempts to add energy storage systems to a refrigeration system often fail to prove satisfactory due to the currently available actuators and valves which often require many joints and interconnections. Such configurations are prone to failure, or often require multiple fittings and seals, or often cause an excessive operational pressure drop. Thus there is a need for a valve adapted to allow connection of an energy storage system to a refrigeration system, capable of being retrofitted to existing air conditioning and other refrigeration systems, or capable of use in new systems, wherein many seals and joints are eliminated so that the system is available at low cost and high reliability.